Fractional Aiming - Exact or Approximate?

[Patrick Johnson]

Fractional Aimers: Do you shoot every shot as an exact 3/4 ball hit, 1/2 ball hit or 1/4 ball hit (etc.), or do you use the fractional alignment as a starting point and adjust your aim to a more precise cut angle for the actual shot?

Please don't vote for how you think it should be done. I'd like to hear how it's actually done by those who actually use the fractional method.

Thanks,

pj
chgo

 

[Solartje]

For me:

1/ I use the fractional aiming (1/1, 1/2, 1/4) as first alignment.
2/ I adjust it to the correct angle.
3/ I imagine the ghostball, and check if my adjusted aligment is in line with the ghostball.
4/ I use BHE to compensate for all non centerball hits.
5/ I imagine the OB going to the pocket

my aligment and adjustment once my bridgehand is down on the table takes 3-6 seconds depending on angle and distance, 1 practice stroke, and the rest is natural.

 

[Thunderball]

Good Lord Man!

There is a part of me that wishes I had a clue as to what the hell you are talking about...and I've thought about asking more then a few times when I see these fractions mentioned when "aiming".

Me,I look at the ball...then the pocket.Then I try to hit the ball (contact point...oppisite side) that will send it in the direction of the pocket.Often times I'll cheat the hole and aim left or right of center of said pocket and I'll adjust my contact point to compensate for my goal.

1/2 or 3/4 hits ect just never enter my mind.Maybe its my ignorance,but really I just try to hit em where they need to be hit....
(if that makes sense)

Edited to add:
I don't mean to insult or belittle any elses position and fwiw I'm really open to the any new ideas that may help my game,I just have no idea where the fractions come into play.

 

[Neil]

...............

 

[Da Poet]

Fractional Aimers: Do you shoot every shot as an exact 3/4 ball hit, 1/2 ball hit or 1/4 ball hit (etc.), or do you use the fractional alignment as a starting point and adjust your aim to a more precise cut angle for the actual shot?

Please don't vote for how you think it should be done. I'd like to hear how it's actually done by those who actually use the fractional method.

Thanks,

pj
chgo

I adjust. I can't imagine not adjusting.

The numbers I have memorized are in 5 degree increments. 3/16th either way twice for 5 and 10 degrees. 1/4 ball for 15 degrees. Then I switch to the outside edge and go 1/8 inch twice either way for 20, 25, 30, 35, and sometimes 40. I practice a 45 degree shot and I will adjust it a little each way for a 40 or 50. anything more than 50 degrees or when the object ball is within a diamond's distance is feel.

I have bad eyes and I have to trust the view standing over the table more than the view in my stance. I have a weird astigmatism in my right eye that creates a shadow of the object ball about an 1/8 of a ball above. It's worse in dimmer lighting situations. But in brighter lighting situations like Derby City, with a little warmup, I can see the contact point just fine and can pretty much just point and shoot.

Patrick, I never see you at Chris's. When are you going to start jumping in to the weekly's?

 

[Patrick Johnson]

Da Poet:
Patrick, I never see you at Chris's. When are you going to start jumping in to the weekly's?

I haven't been to Chris's more than a handful of times since a nice enough room opened up near my house a coupla years ago. The last coupla times I was there the place seemed pretty dead too, so I'm not very motivated by that.

As for the weekly tournaments, I never played in them even when I was a regular at Chris's because they take too much time and there's too much sitting around waiting (although I have played in the round robin tournament once or twice).

The one thing I lack now is regular opportunities for good competition, so if you'd like to meet up sometime, PM me. Do I know you?

pj
chgo

 

[xianmacx]

PJ - For someone who think aiming systems are witchcraft, you sure are doing some serious research. haha



I think the fractional aiming systems are great as references. There used to be alot of shots that I was guessing on. Now that I have the 1/4, 1/2 paths burned into my brain, when I get down on a shot I can mentally say "well quarter ball cut is not enough, but a half ball will overcut it" So if nothing else that narrows down my aiming point to only a small portion of the object ball. From there I can start to use experience and feel to get an exact spot. (somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2). If nothing else, burn the 1/2 ball shot in your brain, it comes up all the time. The half ball aim has been super helpful for back-cutting balls.

 

[Da Poet]

Do I know you?

pj
chgo

lol. Down at DCC, JoeyA was asking me if I ever saw you at Chris's, and I said I wasn't sure. So when I got back, I asked around and the general response was "yeah, you've seen him". Ron said you played in the weekly once in a while, so we may have played each other, who knows.

PM to follow.

Now back on topic!

 

[BRKNRUN]

Fractional Aimers: Do you shoot every shot as an exact 3/4 ball hit, 1/2 ball hit or 1/4 ball hit (etc.), or do you use the fractional alignment as a starting point and adjust your aim to a more precise cut angle for the actual shot?

Please don't vote for how you think it should be done. I'd like to hear how it's actually done by those who actually use the fractional method.

Thanks,

pj
chgo

I think (aim points) are actually starting points and the player either consiously (or subconsiously) adjusts....

For what its worth here is how I apply my aim.....I have done it so much, I can do it in a fraction of a second now, but if I come accross a "off angle" shot that I don't feel like I am seeing the right aim I will use the tip of my cue to find the aim point.

Ultimatly I use the HH-3 line aims of

Center CB to 1/4 OB
Center CB to Edge OB
1/4 CB to Edge OB.... (for this aim I still set the cue through the center of the CB but I use (just outside) the left or right side of the shaft to aim to the Edge of the OB)

(I also use a pivot aim AKA...shis-ke-bob method for thin cuts)
1/4 CB to Edge OB...then pivot cue to center CB...(effectivly makes a measured edge to edge aim between the CB and OB)....this last one is much easier to explain at a table in person..

A majority of shots will fall right on one of these aims and split the pocket...

HOWEVER...I found through research on the above method and through experimentation that as the shot gets very long and some "off angle" shots there is some sub-concius (or concious) adjustment...

Example: Say for a "set" position on the table the aim of Center CB to 1/4 OB pockets the ball...the same exact "set" position of the CB and OB hit at the aim of Center CB to Edge OB hits the Rail two diamonds up (this is just and exampe and may not be 100% accurate on the distance)....the question is for that same exact "set" position of the OB and CB how would you hit the rail (In between) the two aims?

The answer is that you will use one of those aims and just slightly adjust either by concious method or sub concious methiod.

I added a method for these "off angle" shots as I call it...where I am unsure of which aim to use to pocket the ball.

It is a combination of the Ghost Ball and Center to Center methods...I will find the center of the (ghost ball) as it would be contacting the OB to pocket the ball....As I stand behind the CB and aim the center of the CB to the center of the (Ghost Ball) the extended line will point through one of the 3 HH aim points.....(It actually probably puts me just a hair inside or outside one of these points to compensate for what I call the "hole" in the HH 3-line system)

I should also add that when I find that (aim line) from the CB throught the OB...I also visualize the intended line of the OB to the pocket....I am not sure if this plays into the (sub-concious) part of "adjustment"....(I know I don't make any "concious" adjustments from the visualization of the OB into the pocket)

The "key" to this system is that you have to remember (or re-train yourself) to know that these are the "AIM" points and not the actual contact points between to two balls....I think for people that have used contact point aiming they have a hard time "accepting" the aim....(you pretty much have to ignore the contact points)

The "benefits" to this system (at least for me) is that I can line up my cue through center CB for every shot (except the extreme cut which is a pivot back to center CB)...and since I am lining up from center CB it makes it very easy to then apply BHE if required...

This may be more confusion than helpful...but you asked for it...

 

[TheBook]

I land, shoot and hope. Mostly use the ghost ball, tube/tunnel method.